Experiences with school?

[mom2febgirls]

I apologize if this is a duplicate, I kept getting an error when I tried to post it.

I geared myself up for a confrontation with my school based on things I had been hearing about other states and a letter the school sent about the attendance policy being revised and how they were cracking down on unexcused absences.

However, I filled out the form letting them know I was taking Dd for a week for a family vacation and that was that. No one said anything negative to me. Her teacher said she would give us what she could before we left and we could do the rest when we get back.

I'm just curious if it's really as bad as I'd been hearing in other states and if I'm just lucky here in Maryland.

 

[tinaluis]

So far, my DDs' (they're in 4th and 1st grades this year) teachers haven't given us a hard time at all and we take them out of school for at least 1 week (5 school days) a year, sometimes 2 weeks. I guess we've been very lucky.

 

[Lives4Disney]

My kids teachers never gave us any grief until my son started Jr. High. We used to go (drive from IL) and do over 2 weeks sometimes!!! They would give him some homework and/or just some creative writing stuff to do each day.

Jr. High was a different story. Boy, it cramped my style. Now he is in HS and forget it - I would be totally embarrassed to tell them I am taking him out for vacation.

They made me cry at a JR. High meeting because he missed 3 days after a Thanksgiving vacation! (and they knew we had just found out my daughter was losing her sight - that's why we needed a getaway) Just nasty. It wasn't any of their business, but they just humiliated me.

When we were in Puerto Rico (that is where we went and he missed 3 extra days) we were in the club lounge and met these REALLY nice kids from Idaho that were also missing school. They were telling me all about the cruise they were going to take with their extended family, scuba diving, rock climbing.....I asked about their school and they said "Family first - that's our rule". That just has stuck with me and that is what I believe. Go when your kids are young and make those memories. Time goes SO fast. School doesn't!

Lives4Disney

 

[DisneyD]

I've never been a big fan of pulling kids out of school for vacations, but I'll be doing it again this fall, but only for 3 days. School has never given me a problem about it. I think their stance on it is that it's up to the student to make it up and study harder.

 

[golfgal]

It really varies from school to school. Some districts have a strict policy and others don't. We have only taken our kids out of school for one extended vacation and didn't have any problems at all. I volunteered to do any photo copying, etc needed, but they didn't need me to do that.

One high school where I taught had an extremely tough attendance policy. They were having problems with parents taking kids out of school for hair cuts, tanning appointments, etc and they cracked down. Students got 7 days per trimester and after that, they failed. If they were home sick, they needed a dr's letter to get that absence excused. That was pretty much the ONLY excused absence they allowed. The policy worked.

It was also flexible to a point. One of my students qualified to swim in the para-Olympics which was in Australia that year. He was going to miss 3 weeks of school. Most of his teachers gave him his homework and sent him on his way. One teacher tried to prevent him from going and the school board over ruled him. Another boy tried to appeal his absences because he went on a 7 day hunting trip, his appeal was denied and he couldn't graduate.

 

[Simba's Girl]

We'll see but so far so good.

I just told DD's K teacher that we will be having a "planned unexcused" absence in October. I asked her how I should go about notifying the school. She was pretty non-chalant about the whole thing. She told me to write a note about a week beforehand telling them the exact dates she'd be out. We'll see as we get closer. Open house is in 2 weeks so we'll see then too. I have my fingers crossed that DD will stay healthy this semester as well because more than 6 UAs and we get a note from the Truant Officer. She'll have 4 UAs with this trip alone! (but another rant entirely is is that if they had kept the former K schedule instead of going to full day then she would've only missed 2 days-which is how it was when we planned this trip )

I'm not mentioning our Feb. trip until January...but she'll only be out 2 days for that one.

Heather

 

[spedtchr]

My dd6 is going to miss a week of 1st grade. Her teacher was wonderful. She told me that dd would learn more from our trip than she ever could in a week at school. Her class has a field trip to the zoo while we are gone. I am going to video AK for her to take back for her class to watch.

 

[mom23boys]

We have pulled out our children twice. My oldest is in Middle School now so this year we went in August.

Our School District does not give Parents a hard time. Usually we get his work ahead of time and sometimes after. The last time they gave him a week and a half to complete the work.

Have fun on your trip.

 

[Tippurr_2004]

DH and I are taking our dgs(11) to WDW in Dec. He and I will both be missing 3 days of school (he as a student, I as a teacher)! Our district is very understanding, but even if they weren't we would still be going. He is only 11 yo once and this is the first time we can afford to take the trip. As a previous poster said "Family first!"

Tippurr

 

[tjmw2727]

We just moved from MA (lenient) to DE (not so lenient!) and I made arrangements to go to WDW during days off for teacher training. Oh boy, I thought I was ahead of the game and dd's and I would get a 6 day vaca with no missed school. OOPS I missed the boat on one day as I assumed DE had Colomus day off - no don't ever assume. DE dosen't get the same holidays MA gets.

Anyway the literature and such was VERY strict about no more than 3 unexcused absenses a school year. DD's and I had to sign a pledge that we read the rules and would comply, much more ppwk than in MA.

We have been in school for over two weeks so I had a chance to explain this to both dd's teaches, 5th and 3rd. They both advised me to just send in a note the next day that they were absent with MY permission and they would excuse it the absense. They did say (on the sly) not to apply for an excused absense as that just sets the red tape flying.

So although I am a big proponent of family first I am not so into missing school if it can be helped. Luckily we booked a cruise for February last year when still living in MA and we have the same vacation here in DE or I may feel differently.

Good luck and involvement in the school and with the teachers always helps, in more ways then just getting WDW time off, <G>

TJ

 

[disneychrista]

Every school / school district will have different rules. When I took my kids out of school for 11 days to go to WDW they had to go on independent study and do all work before their return.

The biggest thing when you decide to take your kids out is how well will they be able to catch back up. If you have a child that struggles then they need to be in school. If you have kids that excell they might not have any troubles and it should be okay.

My kids are in Middle and High school and I no longer feel they should be removed from school for vacations.